Great Yarmouth Borough Council regulatory notice lifted

In 2022 the council reported itself to the RSH after it became aware of shortcomings in the maintenance work at some of its properties. Now, following the introduction of a raft of new measures and close liaison with the regulator, the council is well placed to bid for further funding for new homes in the borough.

Councillor Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: ''We are delighted the detailed action plan put in place after the notice was issued means we can move forward with continuing to improve our housing stock for our residents.

''I'm grateful to the RSH for working closely with us on our plans to improve following the notice being issued. We have made changes across our operation and remain vigilant and focused on delivering the best service we can.''

The issues related to the accuracy of information recorded about homes, making sure all fire risk assessments were compliant with current regulations, ensuring electrical safety checks are completed at least once every five years and completing work linked to fire safety and water hygiene.

When the council reported the issues, the RSH ruled it had breached the Homes Standard. The council then produced a detailed action plan which has seen a number of improvements across the housing and repairs service.

Among the improvements have been the establishment of a new Health and Safety Team to ensure that standards and services are of a consistently high quality; The introduction of new IT systems to assist in the management and monitoring of all areas of housing and building safety; A backlog of outstanding safety checks has been cleared; And the procurement of new contractors to deliver key compliance services, such as Fire Risk Assessments.

The Council also took the decision bring back in-house repairs and maintenance of all of its homes - including the delivery of gas safety checks and electrical servicing.

Councillor Smith said: ''These and other improvements the council has made have had a very positive impact on the service we provide for our tenants. Crucially, it means we are able to re-instate our Investment Partner status with Homes England, so we are well positioned to bid for funding opportunities.''

As a result of the notice, the council has also put in place new reporting standards to provide clear, meaningful updates around performance.